Sawmill and planer.



No. 700,870. Patented May 27, I902.

E. E. WILLARD.

SAWMLL'L AND PLANER.

. (Applivntion tiled July 2,. 1897.; (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet I,

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No. 700,070. Patented May 27, I902.

' E. E. WILLARD.

SAWNHLL AND PLANER.

'Applicafiion filed July 2, 1897.) No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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NITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

SAWMILL A ND- PLANERF SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 700,870, dated May 27, 1902. Application filed July 2, 1897. Serial No. 648,274 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. WILLARD,a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgway, in the countyrof Elk and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Log-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for cutting boards from logs by means of circular saws carried on mandrels rotating at right angles and so adjusted that logs firmly held by the clamps and moved on a reciprocating carriage past the saws may have cut from their outer parts boards of a uniform size and out nearly or quite radially, such boards being especially valuable for use in the construction of floors.

Referring to the different illustrations, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4., 5, 6, and 12 show the construction of the clamps intended for usein cutting boards from whole logs. Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 show the slightly-different construction required in order to adaptthe clamps for use in cutting boards from logs which have been previously divided into halves by passing a saw longitudinally through their centers.

In the several drawings, A represents a platform or carriage supported on the wheels A, on which are mounted the guide-bars F F which pass through and keep in position the cross-heads G G G G G G G", which support the clamps O O O O O. The guidebars F F extend above .the cross-heads and pass through the plate T and are finally secured by the nuts N N. As shown in Fig. 4, the cross-headsmay be moved up or down on the guide-bars by means of the hand-wheel I actuating the screw-shaft H which also passes through the plate T. The clamps pass through and are journaled to rotate in the part of the cross-head extending outside of the guide-bars and over the circular saws, and the log being supported between two of the clamps is in this manner presented to the saws at the proper height and position for severing the boards. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, one end of the log may be supported by the clamp O ,While the other end rotates on the center V, or, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the log may be supported by the clamp O and disk Q Figs. 1 and 5 are front views, and Fig. 2 is a top View, of a clamp, in which 0 is a cylindrical part passing through the cross-head G and journaled to rotate therein. The inner end of O is made in the form of a flange having upon one of its sides suitable teeth for the support of one end of a log,while the other side of the flange presents a considerable surface intended to press against the side face of the cross-head when the log is pressed against the teeth upon the opposite side of the flange. 0 extends a short distance outside of the cross-head, as shown more fully in Fig. 12, and is fitted to enter and slide in a shallow recess formed in the washer S. Through the center of, O is a threaded hole in which the clamp-screw R works, actuated by the handwheel K at its outer end. The screw-shaft R passes through a hole in the center of the washer S, in which it freely rotates and at the same time holds the washer in its proper position with the aid of a collar formed on the screw-shaft and designed to press against the washer and force it against the outside face of the cross-head. When the screw R is rotated in the proper direction, the result is to draw the washer S and flange 0 toward each other, producing a pressure against the faces of the cross-head sufficient to prevent 0 from rotating when so desired, and the log, having the teeth on the flange O pressed into it, is also prevented from rotating. 7

Fig. 6 shows a clamp of somewhat-different construction. In this G is a cross-head, through which is a hole in which the cylindrical part 0 is fitted to rotate, the set-screw E preventing it from rotating'when so desired. O is provided with a flange on each side of G holding the parts in place. One of the flanges, as shown in Fig. 11, may be removable, being held in place by screws. Through the center of O is a threaded hole to receive the screw P, as more clearly shown in Fig. 12. The hand-wheel K is firmly attached to the outer end of the screw-shaft P and near its inner end is formed a collar designed to press against the disk Q when the screw is rotated in the proper direction. The disk Q is loosely attached to the inner end of the screw P in such a manner that the screw may rotate Without carrying the disk around with it, one way in which the disk may be so attached being shown in Fig. 11, where the screw P passes through a hole in the center projecting beyond the'screw a sufficient dis:

tance to preventthe withdrawal of the screw from the disk. On the inside of the disk Q" are a number of teeth, which are pressed into the end of the leg when the collar on the screw P is pressed against the opposite side of the disk, thus forming a support for that end of the log.

When intended for sawing half-logs, the construction of the clamp is as shown in Fig. 7, in which L represents a clamp-bar extending the entire length of the half-log and which passing through the toothed disk Q is firmly attached to the journaled c1amps-0 and O. The clamp-bar L is placed entirely to one side of the centers of O and 0, so that their common axis of rotation is along the middle of one of the sides of the clamp-bar, and for that reason the screwP passes through the journaled cylinder 0 and is attached loosely to the toothed disk Q a sufficient distance to one side of their centers to clear the bar L, along which the disk Q slides when the screw P is rotated, as is more clearly shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11. The construction of O and O and of the parts connected with them is in other respects as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and as already described when referring to those figures. In operation the halflog is placed against the clamp-bar L, Fig. 7, between the toothed disk Q and the toothed flange of the clamp O, with the middle of the sawed side exactly in line with the clampscrew R and nearly in line with the clampscrew P. To prevent the journaled clamp 0 from rotating, the set-screw E is screwed in against it. The disk Q, is then pressed forward by rotating the clamp-screw P until the teeth on the disk Q are pressed against and into the end of the half-log, and the rotation of P being continued the half-log is caused to slide along the clamp-bar L and is pressed against the teeth on the clamp 0 until they, as well as the teeth on the disk Q, have been forced into the two ends of the half-log sufficiently to secure and support the half-log in place. The journaled clamp O is now made free to rotate by slightly withdrawing the setscrew E, and the half-log having been moved up or down, as desired, by means of the screws H H, is rotated until it reaches the proper position to suit the saws, at which point it is made fast by means of the screw R, which firmly clamps and holds it in that position while the saws are passing through it. The saws are not shown in the drawings. Two or more of them are adjusted to cut vertical kerfs' nearly or quite in direction toward the heart of the log, thus forming the radial sides of the boards, while two other saws cut kerfs at right angles to them, thus forming the edges of the boards.

When in use for sawing whole logs, the oper ation is in all respects as described for the sawing of half-logs, except that the center of the log is placed in line with the centers of the supporting-clamps.

The mechanism thus described and which I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A rotary log-clamp consisting of a cylinder journaled to rotate in a suitable bearing, a flange formed on or firmly attached to the inner end of the cylinder and provided with teeth designed to secure and sustain one end of a log when it is pressed against them, while the other end of the log is supported by any suitable center on 'which it may rotate, and so constructed that the log may at the same time be .pressed and firmly held against the toothed flange of the cylinder; at the outer end of the journaled cylinder a washer recessed to receive the projecting end of the cylinder and having a hole in its center through which passes the shaft of a clamp-screw which is fitted to work in a threaded hole extending through the cylinder, the screw-shaft being provided with a collar formed on or firmly attached to the shaft outside of the washer, and designed to press against the washer and draw it toward the cylinder, in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. A rotary log-clamp consisting of a flanged cylinder j ournaled to rotate in a suitable bearing, a threaded hole in the cylinder through which a clamp-screw with a corresponding thread passes; thescrew having journaled to its inner end a disk provided with teeth which may, by rotating the screw, be pressed firmly against and into one end of a log to secure and sustain it, while the other end is supported by any suitable center on which it may rotate, and by which it may be pressed and held against the teeth of the disk; a set-screw being fitted to press against the journaled cylinder to prevent it from rotating when so desired, as shown and described.

3. A rotarylog-clamp consisting of a flanged cylinder journaled to rotate in a suitable bear ing, a threadedhole in the center of the cylinder through which a clamp-screw with a corresponding thread passes and works, the clamp-screw rotated by means of a hand-wheel attached to its outer end and having journaled toits inner end a disk provided with strong teeth which may, by rotating the screw, be pressed firmly against and into the end of a log, a set-screw passing through'a threaded hole in the bearing and pressing against the cylinder to prevent the cylinder from rotating when so desired; and cooperatively and in combination with the same, another rotary log-clamp consisting of a cylinder journaled to rotate in asuitable bearing, a flange formed on, or firmly attached to, the inner end of the cylinder and provided with teeth designed to secure and sustain one end of a log when it is pressed against them; at the outer end of the cylinder, a washer recessed and constructed to slide a short distance along the journaled part, a hole through its center in which a clamp-screw freely rotates and retains it in place: the journaled cylinder having a threaded hole through its center in which the clampscrew, actuated by a hand-wheel at its outer end and providedwith a corresponding thread, passes and works: the clamp-screw also provided with a collar firmly attached and designed to press against the washer and draw it toward the cylinder when the clamp-screw is rotated and in this manner to clamp the cylinder and prevent it from rotating when so desired, substantially as shown and described.

4. A rotary log-clamp consisting of a longitudinal bar having firmly fastened near its ends flanged cylinders fitted to hearings in which they may freely rotate: at the outer end of one of the cylinders a washer, recessed and constructed to slide a short distance along when the screw is rotated, substantially as 30 shown and described.

EDWARD E. WILLARD.

Witnesses:

D. B. DAY, 0. E. RATHBUN. 

